Innovation and humanity in clinicalcriminological and forensic psychiatric sciences. A dialogue with Tullio Bandini

Abstract

The intellectual work of Professor Tullio Bandini - who has taught Criminology, Forensic Psychiatry, and Legal Medicine for over fifty years and remains a leading figure in these disciplines - is consistently centered on the need to substantially rethink current methodologies used in the forensic examination of both offenders and victims. Specifically, Bandini highlights the inadequacy of conventional psychosociological and psychopathological assessments, which are often caught between the conflicting demands of judicial procedures and clinical realities—two domains that are frequently divergent and, at times, seemingly irreconcilable.

Bandini’s objective is to demonstrate how a renewed and integrative perspective on criminological and forensic-psychiatric methodologies - grounded in ongoing dialogue across theoretical knowledge, clinical competence, and empirical experience - can foster a deeper understanding not only of deviant behavior but also of the psychological and existential repercussions often experienced by victims of crime.

This article explores several key themes from Bandini’s extensive body of work, with a particular focus on his emphasis on the need for a rigorous exploration of the deep psychic dimensions that underlie human behavior. These dimensions, though not externally observable, are fundamental to interpreting the meaning and motivation behind individual actions, as well as to understanding the developmental processes involved in the construction of personal identity.

By moving beyond the limitations of mechanistic-materialist models and reductive deterministic frameworks, Bandini proposes a refined clinical approach-one capable of yielding a more nuanced comprehension of both the significance of criminal acts and their consequences. His work encourages a paradigmatic shift in the way forensic and criminological assessments are conceptualized and conducted, aiming ultimately to bridge the gap between the forensic and the therapeutic, the legal and the human.